Spring '07 P2 Program Activities in Maine

Suzanne Watson recently joined Maine DEP's Office of Innovation as the new Director.

Current activities of the Pollution Prevention Program in Maine DEP's Office of Innovation include:

-Implementing a state environmental certification program for the hospitality sector targeting hotels, motels, and inns. The Program was launched in November of 2005, and currently there are 36 certified lodging businesses in Maine. The P2 program makes an average of ten no and low cost P2 recommendations to reduce environmental impact at each facility. Follow-up surveys have been sent out with regular follow-ups planned in the future. Program staff has made presentations at several tourism conferences and workshops. The criteria for certification are available at: http://www.maine.gov/dep/oia/p2/hotels.htm.

-Assisting businesses and organizations with calculating their greenhouse gas emissions inventory as part of the Governor's Carbon Challenge.

-Managing the Clean Government Initiative to encourage toxics reduction, energy efficiency, and environmentally-preferable procurement within Maine state government.

-Assisting five companies with the implementation of an environmental management system.

-Continuing to provide assistance to the Green Campus Consortium in their efforts to move towards sustainability.

-Working in conjunction with the Climate Change Steering Committee of the New England Governors'/Eastern Canadian Premiers' initiative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 10 percent under 1990 levels by 2012.

-Continuing to provide assistance to a number of industry sectors.

-Revitalizing the Compliance Advisory Panel (CAP) as an effective tool to weigh-in on Office of Innovation activities.